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A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 




Pla,^ Drill by a Part of the Girl.s' .School in Kiiihwa 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 



Leaves from the Note-Book 

OF 

ALICE PICKFORD BROCKWAY 



PHILADELPHIA 

THE GRIFFITH & ROWLAND PRESS 

BOSTON CHICAGO ST. LOUIS 

TORONTO, CAN. 






V^J 






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Copyright 1915 by 
A. J. ROWLAND, Secretary 



Published September, 1915 



iCI,A41K325 

NOV II 1915 
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^ ILLUSTRATIONS 

^'^ PA GE 

Flag Drill by a Pari of the Girls' School in Kin- 
hwa Frontispiece , 

River Scene, Yokohama 24 

Garden in Japan at the Bluffs 26 

Two River-boats Fastened Together 5^ 

Gate-house of Doctor MacKende's Compound, ivith 
Roofs of Houses in the Distance 40 

Front of Hospital on Day of Dedication 42 

Baby Tozver and City Wall, Kinhwa 48 

Wedding Group. Bride in Center, zuith Head- 
dress ^6 

Chinese Wheelbarrozv, Shanghai 62 

Tung Shan Baptist Church, Canton 70 

Kindergarten and Teachers, Canton /2 

Mat-house, zvhcre Kindergarten is Held, Canton . . 78 

5 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 



IT was I p. m. on October 15, 19 14, and the Con- 
tinental Limited was just pulling out of the North 
Station, Boston. We were bound for Chicago ; bound 
for San Francisco; bound for China — the land of 
which we had dreamed so long, and over which our 
hearts had yearned since childhood — the land over 
which we had wept and prayed that she might be 
among God's redeemed ones. 

We had just waved farewell to those who had come 
to see us off. Our good doctor had left his patients 
to come and bid us " Bon voyage " ; and some of our 
friends from the Chinese mission were there, with their 
parting gifts and good wishes — one beautiful remem- 
brance being a magnificent gold and jade pendant, 
wrought in the semblance of two dragons surrounding 
the central piece of jade, while a tiny pearl was com- 
ing out of the dragons' mouths,- This gift was from 
the members of the Chinese Christian Endeavor 

7 



5 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

Society. What can exceed the generosity of the Chi- 
nese people ? Two of the women also were there. 

There would have been niany more had we not 
requested them not to come. We felt we could not 
bear it. The afflictions and burdens of the past eight 
months had told on us, and we were pitiably weak and 
nerve-shattered. We were going now to try to forget 
some of these past experiences ; though we could never 
forget the one dearer than life, whose weary body we 
had so recently laid to rest when her glorified spirit 
had ascended on high ; and we prayed that, if it might 
be possible, she would be our guardian angel on all the 
long, long journey, and that God himself would go 
with us every step of the way. 

We could not realize even now that we were bound 
for China. The fact seemed like a dim unreality as 
we settled ourselves for the journey of three thousand 
miles by rail across the continent. 

We arrived at Chicago the next day about dusk, 
where we spent the night, and in the morning met the 
rest of our party, who were to travel with us as far 
as Shanghai ; and at ten-forty-five we were again pull- 
ing out of the Union Station on " The Pacific Lim- 
ited." 

For many miles we passed quantities of cattle, sheep, 
and pigs, which reminded us of one of the princi- 
pal industries of the W'est. Then night shut down 
around us. 

While the porter was making up our berths the elec- 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 9 

trie lights suddenly went out, leaving the entire train 
in darkness; but the burnt wire was soon fixed, and 
light from within again illuminated our car; and then 
we sought rest in sleep. It took considerable seeking 
to find it, however, as the train kept stopping, jerking, 
starting, and then stopping again. 

We knew when we reached Omaha by the time, the 
stopping, and the shifting of the cars. 

When the dawn came we beheld the mountains of 
Nebraska. It was Sabbath morning ; but nothing which 
we saw would cause us to realize the fact. We were 
crossing miles and miles of rolling prairies, on which 
we frequently saw herds of cattle; and ranch suc- 
ceeded ranch all along the way. 

These ranches consisted generally of a large barn, 
outbuildings, haystacks, a windmill, and small house, 
with cattle everywhere. 

Sometimes we saw washing hung on a wire fence 
to dry; and quantities of sage-brush, while cowboys 
were riding round on their broncos. 

Now and then we came to a village so typically 
Western that we could have no doubt where we were; 
but oh, how seldom did we see a church. 

Until we take note of it ourselves, we can scarcely 
realize what life must be to men on these Western 
ranches with so little to remind them of the Eastern 
homes they have left; but riding along in the train, 
and seeing the contrast, we realize something of the 
need of the wonderful work which is being done by 



lO A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

our American Baptist Publication Society, as the 
workers try to reach these neglected places with their 
chapel cars and gospel wagons. 

We passed many stock-cars containing cattle and 
sheep, and could but feel sorry for the creatures in 
their crowded condition. 

In the middle of the afternoon we reached Cheyenne, 
the most pretentious place we had seen since we left 
Chicago, having passed Omaha in the night. Just at 
sunset the mountains came into view\ and the blending 
of clouds and peaks was exquisite. Then night shut 
down, and we slept. 

With the first light of morning, however, we hastily 
dressed and went back to the observation car. The 
scenery was grand beyond words : those wonderful 
mountains, over which the sun was just rising, some 
of them snow-crowned, all of them draped in autumn 
foliage, mostly yellow, but with patches of red here 
and there; the gorges, through which rushed a deep, 
narrow river, and overhead the blue sky with its fleecy 
clouds. 

Spellbound we gazed, while the words of the psalm- 
ist came to our minds, " As the mountains are round 
about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his peo- 
ple " ; and again, " I will lift up mine eyes unto the 
hills, from whence cometh my help." 

Just before reaching Ogden we passed many little 
houses, so characteristic of Utah ; and then, as the 
train steamed into the station of that city, we gladly 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT II 

left it for a few minutes' walk on the platform and a 
breath of the cool morning air. 

Here, for the third and last time before reaching 
San Francisco, we turned the hands of our watches 
back one hour. 

Soon after leaving Ogden we began our beautiful 
ride across the Great Salt Lake. 

For thirty miles we were charmed by the scenery. 
Behind us lengthened the narrow pier, or bridge, with 
its single track, across which our train was bearing us, 
while on either side foamed the salt water, spreading 
sometimes as far as the eye could see; and in the 
background rose the mountains. 

This wonderful pier, built at tremendous cost, short- 
ened our journey many hours. 

We could not forget, however, as we viewed this 
grand scenery, that the blight of Mormonism was on 
this fair State; and out from its heart go missionaries 
east, west, north, and south to spread its deadly con- 
tagion. 

Utah was soon crossed, and then Nevada, and in 
the morning we opened our eyes in California. 

Our train was on time, so at 9 a. m. we reached 
Oakland Pier, crossed the ferry, and were in San 
Francisco. 

It was a familiar, yet new, sight; for we had not 
visited it for eleven years, and a second San Francisco 
had risen, phenixlike, out of the ashes of the old. 

Our rooms had been engaged at the Hotel Stewart. 



12 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

But here a surprise awaited us. For scarcely had we 
entered the office before a telephone call acquainted us 
with the fact that Miss Stewart was a friend of one 
of our dearest and best-beloved friends, whom we 
last saw in San Francisco, but who, since the fire, had 
removed to Los Angeles; and so our dear friend had 
announced our coming, and a delightful welcome 
awaited us ; while later, a fragrant bunch of violets, 
mignonette, and maidenhair fern, which our loved one 
had ordered, was sent to our room, and brought joy 
to our hearts and happy tears to our eyes. 

The following day we took a ride through China- 
town to the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and the Cliff 
House; but oh, the changes since we saw the city 
eleven years before. We could scarcely realize where 
we were, and a wave of homesickness swept over us as 
we remembered that what had been so dear to us in the 
past had been swept away, and was now only a sad, 
sweet memory, and that even our friends had been 
scattered. It is not the same to us, and never can be 
again. 



II 



THE following day we visited the Chinese Method- 
ist Episcopal mission and church; the home for 
Chinese girls, where we had spent so many happy days 
in the past. Yet even this was not the same, for the 
home itself was new as well as the church, and our 
dear friends, the mission workers of former days, 
were all gone ; while not more than two or three of the 
girls whom we knew then were still there. 

The superintendent called one of these who, though 
she was but a little girl when we had seen her last, 
remembered us, and ran to us with a glad cry, throw- 
ing her arms around us and kissing us. 

She took us into the school where another whom we 
had known as a little girl was assisting in the teach- 
ing. She too remembered us, and in turn took us up- 
stairs in the church where the pastor and his wife 
lived. The wife was one of the older girls whom we 
had known and loved, and as we sat in her bright and 
pretty home we talked of the others whom we had 
known but could not now see. We were permitted, 
however, to see one more, for the pastor's wife went 
to the telephone and called " Susy," whom we re- 

13 



14 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

memberecl as the little interpreter of the home. She 
had married a dentist, and was the mother of two 
Httle boys, one of whom she brought with her. She 
was wearing Chinese clothes, which we thought were 
extremely becoming to her. as she sat before us in her 
blue silk shaaiii, with her hair done partly in American 
and partly in Chinese fashion. 

Oh ! if these reunions on earth are so sweet, what 
will heaven be like, when we clasp in our arms once 
more the loved and lost of earth? 

The next morning we visited the home of Sum Sing, 
the Chinese colporter, employed by the American Bap- 
tist Publication Society. 

He had just gone out, and the four older children 
were at school, but Mrs. Sum and the three younger 
ones were at home. She could not speak much Eng- 
lish, but with her little knowledge of it, and our ex- 
tremely limited amount of Chinese, we managed to 
have some conversation. 

She expressed a desire to see a picture of my 
mother — the dear sainted one who had helped to place 
Sum Sing in Chinatown as a colporter, and who, until 
she entered into rest two months previous, had con- 
tinued to support him with her gifts. I greatly re- 
gretted that her little miniature, which was my con- 
stant companion in travel, had been left at the hotel ; 
but though these two never met on earth, I trust that 
they may greet each other face to face up yonder. 

After a brief call, Mrs. Sum sent one of her little 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 1 5 

girls to conduct us to the Chinese Baptist church, in 
which building is also held the school, where we met 
Miss Ames, our friend of former days. It is a pretty 
little church, built on the site of the old one, but quite 
different in appearance. 

When afternoon came we took an auto ride and 
visited the Exposition grounds. How proud the peo- 
ple of San Francisco were of those beautiful buildings ! 
They were making wonderful preparations for the 
coming exposition, on which seven millions of dollars 
had already been spent, though only one or two of the 
costly structures were to remain after the exposition 
was over. 

The grounds were about two miles long and half 
a mile in width. Each State had its own building, 
that for Massachusetts being a reproduction of the 
main part of the State House, with its gilded dome. 
There were beautiful statues and paintings on many of 
the buildings, while the " tower of jewels " glittered 
and sparkled in the sunlight ; but we thought the most 
beautiful sight of all was the magnificent water-front, 
with its view of the mountains and the Golden Gate in 
the distance. 

In the evening. Sum Sing, with his oldest daughter, 
Ruth, and son David, called at the hotel to see us, and 
we were glad of the opportunity to meet them before 
leaving. 

On Saturday, October 24, we arrived at Pier 42 of 
the Pacific Mail S. S. Line, and went on board the 



l6 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

S. S. Mongolia. She was a noble ship of twenty-seven 
thousand tons, and was filled to her utmost limit. 
There were a large number of Chinese, Japanese, and 
natives of India on board, besides the first-class pas- 
sengers, the latter including a large party of missiona- 
ries with their families. The crew, waiters, and cabin- 
boys were Chinese. 

We did not sail at one o'clock, as had been adver- 
tised, on account of a party of fourteen having been 
delayed by a washout on the railroad. But we swung 
out into the stream and waited while a tender went 
over to Oakland for them. About four o'clock she 
came alongside, and the anxious and thankful fourteen 
came aboard. 

We started directly then, steaming out of the bay 
and through the Golden Gate, bound for China. 

We watched the pilot-boat leave us, and felt that the 
last link binding us to shore had gone; then we set- 
tled back in the steamer-chairs to read our letters — 
loving messages which filled our hearts with joy, and 
reminded us that the thoughts of dear ones went 
with us. After dinner we again went on deck, and 
watched the silvery patch of moonlight on the water 
till we sought our rooms for rest. 

On Sunday religious services were held in the so- 
cial hall, conducted by one of the missionaries. Tues- 
day there was a strong head wind, and the sea was 
rough, compelling some of us to remain in our berths; 
but Wednesday dawned quiet and beautiful. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 1/ 

In the afternoon we witnessed a fire-and-boat drill. 
We knew it was to take place by the preparation on 
deck, so we were not alarmed when the blowing of 
the whistle and the ringing of the bells brought part 
of the crew on deck. Some of them ran for the hose, 
and soon a great stream of water was flowing. 
Another blast from the whistle, weird and prolonged, 
brought the entire crew, including cooks, waiters, and 
cabin-boys on deck, where they lined up and awaited 
orders. At another blast from the whistle, some of 
them ran for life-belts, which they put on, and others 
for the lifeboats, into which they climbed; and at the 
final sounding of the whistle, the boats were lowered to 
the level of the steamer's deck, where they were in- 
spected by the officers, who gave further instructions. 

We were interested to see the drill, but prayed that 
it might not be necessary to see it enacted in the actual 
emergency of a fire at sea. 

As we neared Honolulu we noticed a decided change 
in the temperature. It became quite warm, and the 
water was a deep blue. By this time we had seen con- 
siderable of our fellow passengers, and had learned 
something about the ship's company. 

The crew numbered over three hundred, making a 
total of more than fourteen hundred persons on board. 
The many turbaned men, we learned, were Hindus 
returning home to join the army and have a part in 
the terrible struggle which was then convulsing so 
large a part of the world. 



15 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

The missionary party, including wives and children 
of missionaries, numbered about ninety. 

There were a Japanese count and countess on board, 
who, on account of the war, were leaving Germany, 
where he had been ambassador, and were returning to 
their home in Yokohama. She was a tiny woman, 
and was miserably seasick during the first part of the 
voyage. 

There were the women who smoked cigarettes on 
deck, and the young people who played shuffleboard all 
day, Sunday included, as well as the crowd who got 
up an " auction pool," and gambled over the number 
of knots the ship would make — all kinds of people 
bound for the lands across the sea. But though many 
things pained and annoyed us, we were made glad each 
morning by the songs of worship from the room oppo- 
site our own, where the missionary family united in 
singing, " Jesus bids us shine," and " I'll be a sun- 
beam." 

The steamer was heavily loaded with freight as well 
as passengers, and the ceaseless throb of the engines 
told us how she was striving her utmost to cover the 
miles which lay between us and our desired haven. 



Ill 



FRIDAY forenoon we first saw a distant line of 
some of the group of Hawaiian Islands, but it 
was five o'clock before we had passed quarantine in- 
spection and were really docked. 

The sail among the islands had been beautiful be- 
yond description. They are mountainous, and some 
of the peaks rise quite sharply skyward. Some dis- 
tance out in the harbor we saw a Japanese cruiser ly- 
ing at anchor. One or two German boats were lying 
nearer shore, not allowed to leave. Numerous little 
motor-boats, flying the Stars and Stripes, dashed gaily 
through the water, giving life to the otherwise quiet 
scene. 

As we neared the pier we beheld a crowd of Ha- 
waiian boys, clad only in tights, swimming by the side 
of the ship. They were hoping the passengers would 
throw money to them. When a coin strikes the water 
their brown bodies immediately disappear beneath 
the surface, soon to reappear, however, one of them 
holding up the coin in triumph before placing it in his 
mouth for safe-keeping. 

Once on shore we were not long in securing a motor- 

19 



20 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

car and driving to the " Punch Bowl," as it is called. 
This is really the crater of an extinct volcano. The 
road, which was soft and rutty, wound round and 
round the side of the mountain, and the chauffeur 
dashed round curves and bends at a rate which made 
our hair stand on end, and we were bounced and jolted 
in a way that we should have considered alarming at 
home; and, indeed, it was quite alarming even here. 
Great quantities of the varieties of cactus known as the 
prickly-pear grow all along the roadside, and from 
some of them the men and boys were gathering the 
fruit which is considered good to eat. 

It was just sunset, and the red and gold tints of 
the clouds added to the glory of the scene, for there 
at our feet lay the valley, the city of Honolulu, and the 
bay, while just behind us were the mounds of lava 
formation, brown and rugged. 

As we descended we had a superb view of the val- 
ley, with its quiet homes, in many of which lights had 
already begun to gleam. We regretted that the dark- 
ness gathered so quickly as we rode through the streets 
of the city, out toward Waikiki Beach and the Aqua- 
rium, but we could see something of the pretty little 
bungalow houses, surrounded with luxuriant palms and 
flowers. 

Waikiki Beach, which is about two miles from the 
city of Honolulu, is considered one of the most beauti- 
ful beaches in the world, and is famous for good bath- 
ing and surf-riding. It is certainly beautiful, even at 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 21 

night, as the white-crested waves come rolling quietly 
in on the smooth sand. 

We wished the night might have been as pleasant 
as the evening, but the heat and the noise of coaling 
greatly interfered with our comfort. 

At ten o'clock the next morning we slipped away 
from the dock, passed out of the harbor, and headed 
northwest toward Japan. On we steamed, day after 
day, setting our watches back daily by the ship's bell 
as we went westward. Then there came a day which 
to us was not a day ; for Wednesday, November 4, we 
dropped from the calendar as we crossed the one hun- 
dred and eightieth meridian, and having gone to bed 
on Tuesday night, November 3, we wakened Thurs- 
day morning, November 5. 

As the weather was so warm, a bathing-tank or 
swimming-pool was rigged up on deck, which was the 
joy of numbers of men and women, as well as the 
boys, one of whom had previously been heard to re- 
mark: " Say, wouldn't it be great if this boat should 
stop just now and let down the ladder and let us fel- 
lows go down and swim round ? Gee ! wouldn't it be 
great?" 

Since there was such a large missionary party on 
board, a service for Bible study or missionary experi- 
ence was appointed for ten o'clock daily, in the dining- 
saloon. 

At one of these gatherings, Rev. Geo. S. McCune, 
who with his family was returning to Korea, told of 



22 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

some of his experiences there, and of the wonderful 
spirit shown by the Korean Christians, who suffered 
persecution and imprisonment and even stripes, as 
did Peter and Paul and the Master himself, being un- 
justly accused of things of which they were not guilty. 
He also gave the experience of a young Korean girl 
who was returning with them to her home. It seemed 
that she had been betrothed to a young Korean who 
had previously come to America, and whom she had 
come out to marry ; but when she saw and talked with 
him she felt that there was something lacking in his 
Christian experience. He did not know the Bible; he 
did not study it; he could not even repeat the names 
of the books of the Bible ; this last she told with great 
consternation, and she was not satisfied to marry him. 
There w^ere pleadings and arguments, but the girl 
stood firm. She could not fulfil her engagement to a 
man w^iose life did not measure up to the spiritual 
standard to which she felt it ought; so, although a 
stranger in a strange land, and from a good family, 
she expressed her willingness to go out and scrub and 
work to care for herself, and give him the opportunity 
to go to a Bible school, using for this purpose the 
money he had intended to spend in buying silks and 
jewels for her. Then at the end of a year she would 
see whether she could marry him or not. To this 
proposition he agreed ; but remained in the school only 
about one vi'eek. Later, it was learned that he had 
been leading a dissipated life while in America. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 23 

It was then that the missionaries with whom she had 
come fully realized that the girl had acted wisely; and 
although at the time neither she nor they knew where 
the money was to come from which she owed the man 
for passage-money out, for clothes, etc., together with 
an exorbitant rate of interest which he had charged 
her, or where she could get money for her passage 
back, yet later it was all supplied by different ones who 
heard her story; so the Lord's promise was fulfilled, 
" Them that honor me I will honor." 

This dear girl also showed many times her willing- 
ness to witness for her Master. On one occasion she 
asked a fellow passenger on the train the pertinent 
question, if he loved Jesus *"" very much/' and on dis- 
covering that he was not a Christian at all, with real 
distress in her voice, she told the missionary with 
whom she was traveling that there was an American 
man up there who was a heathen, and begged him to 
go and talk with him. This little incident subsequently 
led to the man's conversion and uniting with the 
church. 

The same spirit of witness-bearing was shown on 
the steamer on her return voyage, when she did not 
hesitate to speak to the steward, the barber, or any 
one for whom she felt the Lord had given her a mes- 
sage. 

As we heard this story of a girl from a heathen coun- 
try showing her faithfulness to the One who had said, 
" Ye are my witnesses," we thought how often we, in 



24 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

Christian America, fail to tell the gospel story to these 
foreigners who come to our shores. 

The two days previous to our reaching Japan the 
sea was rougher, and the last day was also rainy. We 
were uncomfortable and sighed for land, while the 
weather grew colder and the wind whistled dolefully. 
But on Wednesday morning, November ii, we were 
in sight of that for which we had longed, and after 
passing quarantine we came to anchor just inside the 
harbor of Yokohama. 



IV 



As soon as possible we boarded a tender and were 
soon on shore. A few steps from the dock we 
found plenty of jinrikishas in waiting, and choosing a 
man who could speak some English, we stepped in and 
were borne away on our first ride by a smiling little 
Jap, who trotted along in the shafts much as a child 
might do in playing horse. 

Could it be possible that we were really in Japan? 
Again and again we asked ourselves the question ; but 
everywhere we looked we realized it more and more. 

We rode first through the streets where the public 
buildings and consulates were, then through streets 
lined with beautiful shops on either side, and on out 
to the park. Then we went back along " Theater 
Street," so called because there is little besides theaters 
there, so that one might suppose all the people of the 
city spent their entire time at these places. Finally 
we visited the temple, located at the foot of a beautiful 
hill, with another temple at the top, and shrines and 
tablets all around. 

Here our hearts were saddened by the sight of a wee 
old woman, with such a serious, earnest face, walking 

25 



26 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

back and forth as she worshiped. She held in her 
hands a bunch of what looked to us like candle-wick- 
ing. and each time she walked from the front of the 
temple to the end of the boardwalk she said a prayer 
and counted off one of these white strings. Some lit- 
tle children stood watching her; but on she walked, and 
counted, and prayed, minding neither them nor us, 
while the odor of burning incense and the chanting 
of the priest inside emphasized the fact that these poor 
souls were without a knowledge of the true God, whom 
we know and love. 

One thing was noticeable — the number of babies and 
children; the former always carried bound on to the 
back of the mother or of an older child, sometimes 
scarcely larger than the little one who, with wobbling 
head and face exposed to the sun's rays, was bounced 
along. 

The women's dress was picturesque, yet often it 
lacked the trim neatness which we always had at- 
tributed to it from the pictures we had been accustomed 
to see of Japanese beauties. The click, click of the 
wooden shoes, held in place only by a strap, greeted 
our ears everywhere; and the children and other pe- 
destrians who lingered in the streets were warned to 
move out of the way by a cry from the rickshaw men, 
as a chauffeur sounds the " honk, honk " of his horn 
at home. 

We were just in time to see the city decorated with 
flags and Japanese lanterns, in preparation for a parade 




Garden in Japan at the Bluffs 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 27 

to celebrate the surrender of Tsingtau. The Japs 
were jubilant, but the few Germans and Austrians on 
board our ship were crestfallen to learn that they 
would not even be allowed to go on shore. 

On the following day, as the Mongolia was not to 
sail until noon, we had an early breakfast and went 
ashore in the first launch. After a little riding through 
the streets and gazing into shop windows, we ordered 
our jinrikisha men to take us to the bluff. This is 
the hill overlooking the city, where most of the for- 
eigners live, and where the mission compounds are. 
We made a bargain with our men for the trip, but at 
the foot of the hill they halted, while other rickshaw 
men came running to us to inquire if we wanted a 
" push man," and declaring that " One man no can." 
It is, indeed, a steep ascent, and both men grunted 
noticeably as they toiled up. 

At the top we visited a most beautiful garden, or 
nursery, where we saw many of the dwarf trees, for 
which Japan is famous, and beautiful chrysanthemums, 
for it was the season for these flowers. The garden 
was built on a hillside ; and the effect was most charm- 
ing. 

Before descending to the city proper, w^e called on 
our old friend and schoolmate, Mrs. Bearing, who 
greeted us cordially and urged us to make her a visit 
on our return trip. 

We sailed at noon, and at noon of the following 
day reached Kobe. Here we also visited one of the 



28 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

temples and made some purchases, among which were 
some beautiful specimens of tortoise-shell, which we 
found for about one-half the price we should have to 
pay at home. We also saw them making the damas- 
cene jewelry and the Satsuma ware, which latter is 
fired again and again as each color is put on. We 
could not wonder at the high cost when we realized 
the amount of work and time expended on a single 
specimen. 

By ten the following morning we again weighed 
anchor and started on our journey through the beauti- 
ful Inland Sea. 

The shallow waters do not favor ocean vessels, so 
we steamed slowly. There were also numerous fish- 
ing craft all the way, which added to the picturesque- 
ness of the scene, in itself so charmingly beautiful, 
with islands rising abruptly from the water at all 
points. Unlike the islands we saw when approaching 
Japan, these were mostly covered with verdure, while 
here and there a lighthouse rose white and stately 
from the green below. 

By the next morning we had passed out of this In- 
land Sea and were headed for Nagasaki. 

It was Sabbath morning, and the weather had grown 
cold again. I felt depressed and physically ailing from 
a cold contracted just before we reached Japan. We 
seemed very far from home, and a wave of homesick- 
ness swept over us; but at divine service there came a 
message. The congregation sang : 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 29 

Lead, kindly Light! amid the encircling gloom, 

Lead thou me on; 
The night is dark, and I am far from home; 

Lead thou me on. 

We bowed our heads and listened to the sweet 
words, and though they brought tears to the eyes 
they gave peace to the heart; while the Scripture les- 
son, from the fourteenth of John's Gospel, we felt was 
meant for us. We had asked for comfort and help, 
and we found it. The text was a part of the first 
verse, " Let not your heart be troubled ; ye believe in 
God " — words of helpfulness for which we thanked 
the heavenly Father. 

We did not reach Nagasaki until night of the follow- 
ing day, but learned that by being a day late we had 
escaped a bad storm. We had no opportunity to go on 
shore, as we spent the night in coaling and started early 
the next morning. The coaling there is unique. Scores 
of coal-laden barges come to the ship's side, and the 
coal is handed up in small baskets, from one coolie to 
another, over the side of the ship, and then the baskets 
are thrown down to be refilled. So numerous are the 
coolies, and so quickly is this done, that the coaling 
is accomplished in fully as short a time as at the other 
ports. 

Thursday morning we were in the Yellow Sea, and 
realized how it got its name, for the water is densely 
colored by the mud which is washed down by the 
Yang-tse-Kiang River. We began to see the Chinese 



30 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

junks, and as we entered the mouth of the river there 
were hundreds of them. 

We could not go all the way to Shanghai on our 
steamer on account of the shallow channel, but came 
to anchor at a place called Woosung, about nineteen 
miles from the city, where the tug from Shanghai 
came to meet us. As we saw it approaching, we 
scanned eagerly the faces of those on board and were 
made happy when we recognized our friend. Doctor 
MacKenzie. 

Owing to the large amount of baggage to be trans- 
ferred, it was nearly the middle of the afternoon be- 
fore we started, though we had come to anchor a little 
before noon ; but, finally, we bade good-bye to the 
ship which had been our home for the past three and 
a half weeks, and were carried up the river to Shang- 
hai, where, waiting on the jetty, we saw Mrs. Mac- 
Kenzie and other friends, including Mr. R. D. Staf- 
ford, the treasurer and business manager of the 
American Baptist Missionary Union, at whose home 
we were to be entertained. 

There we bade good-bye to the friends with whom 
we had traveled across the continent and the ocean, 
and found rest in a stationary bed and luxury in a 
room beautifully large and comfortable. 

As Doctor and Mrs. MacKenzie were in haste to 
return to the work which they had left on purpose to 
come down and escort us up the river, our stay in 
Shanghai was necessarily short, but we had a day and 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 3I 

a half in which to see the sights and visit the shops. 
We found it a beautiful city, with fine buildings in the 
foreign concession and along the Bund, and typically- 
quaint and interesting ones in the Chinese parts. It 
seems strange that things so unlike can be in a single 
city. There were tall, turbaned Indian policemen, 
native Chinese, and British officers. 

To our surprise we learned that there were over one 
hundred thousand Cantonese in the city. We were 
privileged to visit the Baptist Cantonese school for 
girls, under the charge of Mrs. Bryan, of the Southern 
Baptist Board. 

The following day, about noon, we were driven to 
the railway station quite in American style, excepting 
that the driver was Chinese and wore a remarkable 
hat. It was quite amusing to hear the rickshaw men 
scream to pedestrians to get out of the way; the 
drivers of the carriages in turn gave warning howls 
to the rickshaw men ; while the " honk, honk " of occa- 
sional automobiles cleared the way of all before them. 

The station was reached after a drive of about 
three-quarters of an hour, mostly through the Chinese 
section, where all classes are to be seen, and beggars 
were numerous, running along by the side of our car- 
riage, holding out hands or baskets in appeal. 

We found the station a pleasant building, and the 
cars fairly comfortable, divided into first, second, and 
third-class. 



THE ride to Hangchow took about four hours and 
was most interesting, giving us a wonderful op- 
portunity to see the country life of China. We passed 
numbers of farms, where the even and well-kept rows 
of Chinese vegetables showed the thrift of the people. 
We saw men beating out rice by hand ; we passed them 
hoeing, carrying, and doing all kinds of work; we 
saw the cows and water-buffalo which they use for 
work as we do oxen; but perhaps one of the most 
unique and interesting sights to us was the graves, 
which were everywhere. These graves were, for the 
most part, little brick structures built over the coffin, 
which was above ground. The bricks were generally 
whitewashed. Occasionally we saw a coffin covered 
only with straw, showing the poverty of the people; 
and now and then one simply laid on the ground, 
awaiting a lucky day for burial. Most of the graves 
were at a distance from each other, but sometimes 
there were two or three together, and in a few places 
we saw a little group, looking like a family burying- 
ground at home. 

On this ride we also got our first sight of a Chinese 
32 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 33 

pagoda, passing three or four, all built on the top of 
some hill. 

We reached Hangchow about dark; indeed, we had 
to carry a lantern on our walk from the station to the 
boat which was to take us up the river, on the last 
part of our long journey. We went on board, but did 
not start until the next morning, as these boats always 
tie up at night and only travel by day. 

To describe one of these river-boats to one who has 
never seen them is no easy matter. They are of dif- 
ferent sizes, but the same style. The center of the 
boat is covered with a rounding top which extends 
down the sides as well, and the inside of this covered 
part on a large one, like that on which we traveled, is 
arranged something like a pullman car, with only 
lower berths. These bunks are on each side, with the 
passageway between considerably wider than the aisle 
in the car. The MacKenzies had to bring bedding and 
curtains to hang before the bunks. The berth itself 
was only a board; but having been warned before- 
hand, we had brought an air mattress and so had a 
fairly comfortable bed. 

The ends of the boat, which were open, were small, 
and came to a point at both bow and stern. There was 
a sail, which was used when there was a favorable 
wind; otherwise the boatmen (we had eight in all) 
took tow-ropes and, wading through the water to the 
shore, walked along the tow-path, literally pulling the 
boat along; and in the rapids (and there were many in 



34 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

the latter part of the journey) two men, one at the 
bow and one at the stern, pushed with poles, one end 
of which they placed against their shoulder, and some- 
times against the pit of the stomach, while they 
threw their whole strength against the pole till they 
were nearly in a horizontal position. It was painful 
to watch the exertions of these men and hear their 
grunts, as they strained to pole us through the worst 
rapids. 

At night the only place these boatmen had to sleep 
was on the floor. They spread out their quilts and, 
wrapping their covers about them, were soon sleeping 
the sleep earned by hard toil. Before retiring and on 
waking in the morning, they all sat on the floor and 
smoked long bamboo pipes with tiny bowls. The boat- 
men were pleasant and tried not to interfere with us, 
merely watching curiously anything new or strange. 
Our camera afforded them much amusement, and 
several of them stood watching us intently while we 
wrote with a fountain pen. 

The woman who owned the boat had two little chil- 
dren. They all three slept in one of the bunks at the 
back end of the boat. 

The MacKenzies had brought along their own cook 
and his wife, so we felt confidence in our food. The 
cooking all had to be done on a tiny charcoal stove; 
but it was wonderful how much could be accomplished 
with such limited accommodations. 

The weather had turned cold, and the first day it 




Two River-boats Fastened Together 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 35 

rained so that we had to stay inside. However, the 
wind was in our favor and we made good headway, 
saiHng nearly all the way; but it was the only day 
we were able to use the sail much. 

These boats are certainly good places to try the 
fresh-air cure, as they are open at both ends and the 
air draws through. At night the doors at the front 
of the boat are closed, but the rear always remains 
open. 

The second day the sun came out and, bundled to 
our ears, we sat outside on the bow of the boat; but 
even though we were obliged to wrap ourselves so 
warmly, it would be very unsafe to sit in the sun with- 
out pith hats. 

We stopped at the Chinese village of Tonglu, and as 
the men had to buy some things we went ashore and 
got our first sight of a typical Chinese village. The 
only foreigners in this place were a man and his wife, 
missionaries of the English Episcopal Church, who 
live on the outskirts. As we walked through what 
seemed to be the only business street, and saw the 
sights and smelled the smells, we felt that nothing 
short of the love for God and souls could induce a 
foreigner of culture and refinement to live here, away 
from all companionship and the things which are sup- 
posed to make life beautiful ; but as we tried to re- 
member that in each one of these ignorant and unat- 
tractive persons is a precious soul, one of those for 
whom the Saviour died, and as we thought of the joy 



36 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

of rescuing some of these from heathen darkness and 
superstition to shine as jewels in the Master's kingdom 
by and by, we were better able to understand how these 
servants of his could bear even the present discomfort 
for the joy which was set before them. 

It was only a few rods from the shore to this main 
street, but we had to watch every step, for pigs were 
running wherever they could, and we passed within 
touch of a buffalo tied by a cord through his nose. 

The street was one long, narrow, straight way, with 
no sidewalk, but with shops on either side. These 
shops were all opened in front, and were very small. 
There were carpenters' shops where they were making 
both furniture and coffins; toy-shops, food-shops, and 
even jewelers' shops. We stopped at one of the latter 
and purchased a pair of typical Chinese bracelets, made 
of bamboo and silver, of very pretty workmanship. 
Indeed, some of this jewelry which we saw displayed 
in a little glass case outside was really beautiful. 

While we were bargaining for the jewelry a crowd 
gathered round, filling the street outside and even 
crowding into the small shop, for foreigners are not 
an every-day sight in Tonglu. They were quite re- 
spectful, however, merely watching us with curious 
eyes as we did them ; until, as we were returning to 
the boat, some boys who were washing vegetables 
down by the water's edge said that some " foreign 
devils " were coming. For this rudeness, however, 
Doctor MacKenzie made the offenders apologize. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 37 

The following day was Sunday, and we tried to 
realize it as we sat on the bow of the boat after break- 
fast and had prayers. Suddenly a little breeze sprang 
up, and the men who had been towing came on board, 
whereupon we grasped a God-given opportunity to give 
them the gospel message. We sang " Jesus loves me," 
and then Mr. Mok, our Chinese teacher, who is also a 
preacher, stood and read to them the wonderful John 
3 : 1 6, and in a few words tried to tell them the old, 
old story of God's love. They listened with some show 
of interest, while we lifted our hearts in prayer that 
the seed sown might fall on good ground and bear 
fruit. 

We shall not soon forget it : the beautiful Sabbath 
morning; the mountains rising on either side of the 
river showing, in some places, scenery as beautiful 
as that on the Hudson ; the blue sky overhead ; the un- 
kempt and wretchedly poor boatmen sitting on the 
edge of the boat or in the doorway, just inside; the 
woman who owned the boat, also listening as to a 
strange and curious story; the cook, himself a Chris- 
tian, showing his interest in reverent expression and 
attitude; and the young preacher, trying his best to 
send home the truths to their hearts. 

It seemed as though God must have sent this little 
breeze just then to give us this opportunity of sowing 
by the wayside, for it soon died away and the men 
went back to their towing:. 



VI 



WE passed a number of small boats where they 
were fishing with cormorants. These are large 
birds which sit on the edge of the boat and watch for 
fish. Whenever a cormorant sees one he dives for it, 
bringing it up in his large beak; but he is prevented 
from swallowing it by a ring which he is forced to 
wear around his neck, tight enough to prevent the 
passage of the fish down the bird's throat. 

Soon after this we began to enter the rapids; and 
from this time our progress was slow and difficult, 
for we had no wind to help us now, and were entirely 
dependent on the towing and pushing which we have 
before described. 

We had wondered how it could take six days to 
make the distance of one hundred and fifty miles ; now 
we knew. In fact, we understood many things which 
had been a source of wonder to us before. One must 
see to appreciate. 

It was cold all the way and frequently rainy, and 
we wrapped ourselves in our heaviest garments and 
rugs till we were scarcely able to move, then went to 
bed with a hot-water bottle. 
38 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 39 

We went ashore at another Chinese village, and 
there, amid all the foulness, we saw a little chapel with 
gospel pictures and texts on the walls. A woman 
sitting in the doorway, sewing, rose politely as we 
stopped to speak to her, and we learned that it was an 
outstation, or street chapel, of the China Inland Mis- 
sion — that wonderful mission which has carried the 
Light into so many dark places in China. To this 
chapel the missionary comes once a week to preach. 

Tuesday night we reached Lanche and went ashore, 
taking supper at the home of three lady missionaries 
of this same China Inland Mission. These three 
women are the only foreigners in the city. Their 
home seemed like a little taste of heaven, after all we 
had seen. After supper we attended a little prayer- 
meeting held in the dispensary — our first meeting in 
China. 

We saw a little Chinese girl in this home whom one 
of the missionaries had adopted to prevent her from 
being drowned by her mother, who had already des- 
troyed eight baby girls. 

The next morning we left the large boat in which 
we had come up the river, and took two small boats 
for the last day's journey, the river being too shallow 
for the larger boat. 

The weather had grown warmer, so we no longer 
suffered with the cold. It was also bright and sunny. 

We had five boatmen and not much baggage, and 
our little boat made such good time that we reached 



40 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

Kinhwa about four o'clock, thereby disappointing the 
friends who had planned to be on hand to meet us 
but were too late. 

As we approached the city we saw the beautiful 
stone bridge, with its thirteen arches, which spans the 
river, connecting the main city with the opposite side. 
This bridge is a wonderful piece of architecture and 
masonry, though it was built about one thousand 
years ago by a people whom many look upon as semi- 
civilized. 

We found Kinhwa a much cleaner city than those 
at which we had stopped on our way up the river. 
It is a walled city, the wall having stood for two thou- 
sand years, thus dating back to the time before Christ. 

We passed within the city gate and made our way 
over the cobblestone pavement and through streets to 
the compound where Doctor and Mrs. MacKenzie live. 
Their compound joins the hospital compound, and is 
outside of the crowded district near the city wall. As 
the old gatekeeper opened the gate in answer to our 
knock we stepped inside, and saw a gray-brick house 
in the center of a good-sized lot where there is plenty 
of fresh air. Even the servants seemed glad to see 
us, and bowed and greeted us politely. 

Inside the house one would scarcely know that he 
was in China. Though built of native material, it 
was of foreign construction and furnishing. The 
ceilings were high, the walls white, the floor newly 
varnished. From our room we could see the city 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 4I 

wall and the northern mountains, while the sunset 
view was glorious. From another part of the house 
could be seen a large and well-preserved pagoda, 
which stands on one of the hills inside the city wall. 

The morrow was Thanksgiving Day. In the morn- 
ing the doctor took us to visit the hospital and dispen- 
sary. The hospital had not been opened for patients, 
as it was not quite completed, there having been delay 
in some of the last details. It was a fine building, 
however, for which the doctor himself had drawn the 
plans and acted as overseer of the work, watching 
every detail carefully, and even doing some things 
with his own hands. 

On the first floor was the diet-kitchen, doctor's of- 
fice, nurse's room, a number of private rooms, and 
large wards; on the second floor, the operating-room, 
private rooms, wards, etc. ; while above was a large 
space for storage. Nearly every room had over the 
door the name of some one who had furnished it. 
Our eyes filled with tears as we read some of these 
names ; and we hoped the dear ones in glory were per- 
mitted to see what their gifts had accomplished. Our 
only wish was that we might see the beds filled with 
patients and the hospital running with well-trained 
helpers. 

The dispensary was opened, and here the doctor 
and his assistants, a well-trained Chinese young man 
and a young Chinese woman, recently graduated from 
the Nurses' Training-school in Nanking, saw patients 



42 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

daily; and occasionally one who needed constant at- 
tention was allowed to remain in the dispensary. 

One man was there at this particular time — a very 
wicked man — who had committed murder for the pur- 
pose of obtaining three hundred dollars. A relative 
of the murdered man had pursued him and slashed 
him with a knife, severing and splintering the bone 
of one leg. His condition was serious, but he vowed 
vengeance on the one who had wounded him. While 
lying there, however, with nothing to do, he quite will- 
ingly read the Chinese Scriptures and tracts, and his 
eyes wandering round the room would fall on Scrip- 
ture texts and stories on the wall, the one directly in 
front of him being the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

As we passed out of the dispensary we saw a wom- 
an standing outside, groaning and crying piteously. 
She had " eaten medicine " that the Chinese doctor 
had given her, to no good, and now had come to the 
foreign doctor for help. 

Thanksgiving afternoon we all made our way to 
the home of one of the other missionaries, the teacher 
of the girls' school; and there the little group of mis- 
sionaries held their usual weekly prayer-meeting, and 
afterward gathered round the table for Thanksgiving 
dinner. It was a bountiful one, with roast goose in- 
stead of turkey, while the other viands were partly 
foreign and partly native; but the meal was delicious. 

Saturday afternoon the girls' school gave us a re- 
ception, held out-of-doors on the school grounds. The 




Front of Hospital on Day of Dedication 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 43 

boys' school and a number of outsiders were invited. 
The first thing we saw as we stepped inside the gate 
was several soldiers, drawn up to give dignity to the 
occasion. There were also a number of the larger 
girls stationed there, wearing ribbon badges inscribed 
with Chinese characters. These formed a reception 
committee to usher us in. The grounds were elabo- 
rately decorated with flags and banners, and at one 
end, under some Chinese mottoes, w'e saw the Chinese 
and American flags. 

There was singing by the girls in both Chinese and 
English, then a wonderful address of welcome, given 
first in Chinese by one of the girls, and then translated 
into English by another, who gave it plainly and beau- 
tifully. 

There were charming exhibitions of marching and 
drilling with dumb-bells, Indian clubs, flags, etc., and 
then various races and games which were very inter- 
esting, and in which the girls showed much enthusiasm. 

Tea, Chinese cakes, and candy were passed to all, 
and then the company began to disperse. We started 
to go also, and had passed outside of the gate and 
quite a way down the street when one of the Chinese 
women came running after us, and calling to us 
breathlessly declared that we must return. Wonder- 
ingly we complied, and found that the Chinese teach- 
ers had prepared some extra refreshments for the 
" guests of honor." So we were seated at one of the 
tables in the dining-room, each with a pair of chop- 



44 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

sticks, and some " bows," as they are called, were 
placed before us. These are something like boiled 
dumplings, pasty and indigestible, filled with chopped 
meat of some kind. Hideous thoughts of indigestion 
floated through our brains as we beheld them, and we 
sought for some way of escape which would not wound 
the feelings of those who had so kindly prepared these 
dainties for us. 

Watching till the teacher, who was waiting on us, 
disappeared from sight, we quickly concealed the little 
dumplings, which we dared not eat, in our coat pockets 
(fortunately they were spacious ones), and wrapped 
our handkerchiefs around them; till once more in the 
street, with considerable distance between us and the 
school, we extracted them and stealthily " chucked " 
them away. 



VII 



SUNDAY morning we went to the Baptist church. 
When I say that, I presume you immediately 
imagine an attractive Httle chapel, with its bell sound- 
ing forth a welcome. I wish that I could show you 
just what it really is. Surely the Baptists at home 
would blush with shame if they knew. 

It is an old building partly below ground like a 
cellar, with no possible way of being heated; cold as 
a place like that must necessarily be; with brick floor 
and plaster walls; no organ, no choir, and far too 
small for the people who might be gathered in. In- 
deed, when the girls' and boys' schools were seated 
there was but little room for others, and people stood 
outside looking in at the door throughout the service. 

The Sunday-school followed church, and though 
there was no organ, those boys and girls would put 
to shame some of our home Sunday-schools by their 
singing; and we recognized the tunes, if not the words, 
of hymns familiar in the homeland, " Happy Day " 
and " Sweet By and By." 

We thought as we looked around this pitiful apology 
for a church (and we know that there are many others 

45 



46 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

on the mission field no better) of the Bible words, 
" The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the 
Lord " ; and we wondered, if this were so, who was 
holding back that which belonged to God. 

It would not be considered proper for ladies of 
our standing to appear on the street alone; so, when 
the doctor did not accompany us, we were obliged to 
hail one of the servants to follow us at a respectful 
distance, unless we were in the company of some Chi- 
nese women. 

As there were no foreigners in Kinhwa excepting 
the missionaries and their families, we were quite as 
much of a curiosity to the Chinese as they were to 
us. If we stopped at a store to buy anything, a crowd 
of curious and smiling natives quickly collected. On 
the street remarks like the following greeted us, " Look 
at her! Look at her! " " Her clothes are very fine." 
They afforded us much amusement as we evidently did 
them. 

A walk out into the country proved quite a different 
experience. We passed through one of the city gates, 
across what used to be an old moat, but is now used 
as a vegetable-garden, climbed up some steps, and 
walked along a narrow path for some distance to one 
of the brick-yards, where bricks and tiles are made. 
We looked around at the piles of brick, the kiln, etc. ; 
then, turning, beheld the woman of the house and 
owner of the brick-yard (her husband having died), 
standing with a little child in her arms. She politely 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 47 

invited us to enter the house, and not liking to appear 
rude we did so. 

It was, indeed, a primitive country home ; but there 
are many like it throughout China. The main room, 
or living-room as we might call it, was about twelve 
feet square, with a mud floor ; the walls being bamboo 
laths covered with mud plaster. There were no win- 
dows; one door opened outside, another into what was 
evidently a kitchen, and a third into a bedroom. There 
was a square table and some benches in the room. The 
woman asked us to be seated, and immediately began 
to make tea, set on cakes, and boil eggs for us. Noth- 
ing we could say would stop her. We saw the daughter 
wiping out one of the cups with her apron, which was 
far from clean; but her hospitality was touching as 
she pressed these things upon us, and what we failed 
to eat she insisted that we carry home, taking the 
doctor's handkerchief out of his pocket and wrapping 
the cakes and about a dozen eggs in it, in lieu of any 
other carrier. 

On our way home, just before reaching the city 
wall, we saw four men lying in a field but a few rods 
from the road, their faces covered with straw, and 
straw partially covering their bodies. A number of 
curious people had turned aside to look, lifting the 
straw from their faces to gaze at them. They were 
robbers, who had been captured, tried, and then taken 
by the soldiers outside the city wall and shot. It was, 
indeed, a gruesome sight. Formerly, such despera- 



48 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

does were beheaded, but now they are stood up in 
front of a wall and shot. 

We also saw the skull of an infant which had 
either been thrown out on a refuse heap or buried 
and dug up by dogs, who had devoured the flesh. 
Evidently it had not been dead very long, as the clothes 
were near-by. 

We passed near one of the " baby towers," which 
are small square buildings, perhaps twelve or fourteen 
feet square, where the bodies of infants, whose parents 
are too poor to be at the expense of burying them, may 
be thrown in and covered with quicklime. Oh, the 
pity of it all — a people " without God and without 
hope " ! 

Our Christmas in Kinhwa was certainly different 
from any other Christmas we had ever spent. We 
awoke remembering what day it was, and wondering 
just what it would bring us, when suddenly, out in 
the hall, a burst of song broke forth, and the sweet 
old hymn, " Joy to the world, the Lord is come," 
greeted our ears, as the Christian girls from the 
school, with one of the teachers, welcomed the sacred 
day with music. A few moments after the singing had 
ended, the sound of the only church-bell in Kinhwa, 
which is on the new church of the China Inland Mis- 
sion, pealed forth on the still morning air, sending 
out its notes of gladness. 

After breakfast and Chinese prayers at the dispen- 
sary, we called first the hospital assistants and then 




Baby Tower and City Wall, Klnhwa 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 49 

the servants up to the house and presented them all 
with little gifts. How their faces shone as they bowed 
their thanks! 

The sick man lying in the dispensary was pre- 
sented with a Chinese Testament, while we told him 
through an interpreter, as best we could, the meaning 
of Christmas; and his poor face lighted as he clasped 
the book in his hands, which were guilty of shedding 
human blood and of many dark deeds, but which we 
prayed might be cleansed by the blood shed for him on 
Calvary. 

After this we went over to the girls' school to see 
them have their entertainment and gifts, and their 
faces also shone with joy as they received their simple 
presents. 

Twenty-one of us foreigners, including a number of 
visiting missionaries from other stations, sat down to 
Christmas dinner at the MacKenzies', after which we 
had our photograph taken in a group. 

In the evening we all gathered in the home of Miss 
Relyea, the principal of the girls' school, to see the 
Christmas tree, which with its laden branches re- 
minded us of home; and for a while we almost forgot 
that we were so far from that dear place. But at the 
close of the evening, when we walked out through the 
mission compound to get in our chairs, and the bearers 
raised the poles to their shoulders and trudged back 
through the narrow streets, past rice-shops, past 
houses from whose doorways floated red and green 



50 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

papers to drive away the evil spirits, round corners 
so narrow and crooked that the coolies had to walk 
carefully to turn with the long poles, then we again 
realized that we were in China, ten thousand miles 
from home and dear ones, though just as near to the 
Father above. 



VIII 



WHILE we were celebrating the birth of our 
Lord, in a near-by temple the Chinese were 
observing- a special time of worship which occurs but 
once in three years. The temple was gorgeously deco- 
rated with lanterns, banners, and scrolls. Huge, 
hideous figures of paper were objects of special wor- 
ship; and a large paper boat, peopled and furnished, 
held a conspicuous place at the entrance. At the close 
of the seven days' worship this was to be carried to 
the river and floated down-stream, to carry the devil 
away from the city. 

One afternoon we went over and walked around, 
gazing at these different things, till finally we entered 
a place in which was a huge image of Buddha, before 
which red candles were burning, as well as joss-sticks; 
and on the floor in front were two earthen jars filled 
with burning paper which was being offered to those 
in the spirit world. Two Chinese women who had 
come in from the country, walking over the hard 
slippery roads with their little bound feet, were burn- 
ing paper trousers, coats, and money, all of which 
were supposed to be changed into the real articles in 

5t 



52 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

the Spirit world for the use of departed friends who 
might be in want. 

These two little women threw on one article after 
another, watching them burn, realizing in all proba- 
bility that it had cost them much money, for which 
they had spent w^eary hours ; for they told us that they 
were sewing women, and had brought two dollars' 
worth of the stuff, which is much to them in a land 
where labor is so cheap. It was indeed a sad sight. 
One of them crouched over the flame, still feeding it 
with her offerings, and \ve watched as the sparks and 
ashes ascended from the burning, and then the ashes 
fell upon her head and shoulders, until she was quite 
covered with them. 

The Christian girl who had come with us talked to 
them, telling them that it was all useless. They lis- 
tened politely, smiling; but with a far-away, incredu- 
lous look on their faces. Then she asked them if they 
had never heard the gospel, and they answered " No." 
How our hearts ached as we turned sadly away, wish- 
ing so much that we might lead them to the One whose 
life was given a ransom for the world. 

How great w^as the contrast between this and the 
sight of the native Christians assembled the following 
Sunday morning at the first service held in the new 
church of the China Inland Mission ! It was a union 
service of the two Kinhwa churches, and the little 
building, holding perhaps three hundred, was taxed 
to its full capacity, extra seats and benches being 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 53 

brought in to seat the people. At the close the Lord's 
Supper was observed, and beautiful indeed it was as 
we sat there and partook of the sacred emblems for 
the first time with the native Christians ; but our hearts 
were again saddened when, in the evening, we walked 
over to the temple, and there beheld the evening wor- 
ship, which was far more elaborate than anything we 
had seen by daylight. 

There were then bonfires in the courtyard, fed by 
baskets and baskets full of the spirit money, both gold 
and silver; the worshipers were there in great num- 
bers, and we beheld them with bunches of the lighted 
joss-sticks, going first to one hideous idol and then 
another, bowing before them and leaving a few of the 
sticks in front of each one. Inside were priests, robed 
in red and yellow gowns, chanting, bowing low, and 
beating gongs. The lanterns were all lighted, as well 
as red candles, making a weird and beautiful spectacle ; 
but because of its meaning it was one of the saddest 
sights that we had ever seen. 

During the last day of worship at the temple, crowds 
of people from the country came in, and as many of 
them passed the door of the dispensary on their way. 
Doctor MacKenzie ordered the doors opened and in- 
vited them in. The Bible-woman and chapel evangel- 
ist were both there and had an opportunity for a little 
seed-sowing. 

The women were much interested in my dress and 
came to me, feeling my coat. When I opened it for 



54 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

their benefit, and let them see my dress and little chain 
and locket, they exclaimed that it must have cost as 
much as five hundred cash. I let them look to their 
heart's content, and then rushed to the house for the 
autoharp and, returning, started to sing- " Jesus Loves 
Me." The words were printed on the wall, so the 
doctor urged them all to sing, and over and over we 
repeated the chorus : 

Yes, Jesus loves me, 
Yes, Jesus loves me. 
Yes, Jesus loves me, 
The Bible tells me so. 

Then the preacher began to talk to the group around 
him, the Bible-woman to another group, and, alto- 
gether, we had quite a lively meeting. Several gospel 
tracts and portions of the Scriptures were sold, and we 
prayed that at least some of the seed sown might find 
lodgment on good ground. 

On New Year's Day we attended a wedding out in 
the country, twelve or fifteen li away. The invitations 
had come some days before — red paper ones in large, 
red envelopes. The wedding was to be in the morn- 
ing; so after breakfast we had chairs brought and 
started on our journey. It was full of interest, for 
we had not been in that direction before. On the way 
we met dozens of men carrying pigs to the city. The 
way these animals were carried is certainly unique, 
and makes us glad we are not pigs in China. They 
were suspended by ropes between two poles, feet up 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 55 

in the air. Sometimes they were as silent as though 
dead, at other times they made themselves heard with 
gruntings and squealings. 

Just before we reached the house where the wed- 
ding was to take place, the bridegroom came out to 
meet us and personally escorted us to the place. 

The house was built round a courtyard, or partially 
open room, like many Chinese homes of the better 
class, and it was in this part that the wedding took 
place. On our arrival we were invited to be seated at 
a square table, and served with tea, cakes, candy, and 
fruit. 

Although none of the family were professing Chris- 
tians, and some of them decidedly heathen, yet, on 
account of the bridegroom and his mother having 
come under strong Christian influence by working in 
the families of some of the missionaries, it had been 
decided to have this a Christian wedding. This meant 
that the bride and groom would not bow before the 
ancestral tablets or worship the household gods, which 
had been removed from the central place of honor 
which they usually occupied, and placed in a corner 
of the room and covered with a cloth. The usual 
firinsf of the crackers was also omitted. 

In front of the table at which we had been served 
were placed two chairs, covered with red ; on the table 
were two small cups of wine, and behind the table 
stood Mr. Dickie, of the China Inland Mission, who 
was to marry them. 



56 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

First the bride was led in by two women. It was 
well she had some one to lead her, for her face was 
covered with red silk, which hung down from the 
heavily beaded head-dress, always worn by a Chinese 
bride. She was dressed entirely in red, even to her 
shoes. After being seated in one of the red-covered 
chairs, the bridegroom entered and took the one be- 
side her. They sat during the ceremony, but we all 
stood. 

In visiting an Oriental land some things which we 
have read in sacred Scriptures are made much more 
plain; for example, where it speaks of not taking the 
chief seat when bidden to a feast, lest a more honor- 
able guest arrive and th^ one occupying the chief seat 
be asked to take a lower. We understand it now. 
The seat of honor is the one nearest to the bridal 
couple; and as there were a number of chairs set in 
a row against the wall, we can well understand what 
it would mean to take a lower ; but. fortunately for us, 
we foreigners were allowed undisputed possession of 
the " chief seats," while standing behind the couple, 
in the courtyard, were gathered a motley crowd, con- 
sisting of family, relatives, friends, and any one who 
cared to come in from the street. The ceremony 
began by the singing of a hymn by the three foreign 
men who could sing, then the marriage service was 
read in Chinese by Mr. Dickie. No response by the 
couple was asked for, but at the close they pledged 
their union bv the drinking of the wine, first from one 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 57 

cup, then from the other, and then from the same 
cup, into which the wine from the two had been 
mingled. 

After the service was over the bride was led away, 
and Mr. Dickie preached the gospel to the assembled 
crowd. Then came the great event of the day from 
the Chinese point of view, viz., the feast. We for- 
eigners, five in number, sat at the table with the 
bridegroom (the bride had no part in this), and tried 
to eat some of the sixteen courses prepared, but some 
of us could not hold out to the end. We were obliged 
to use chop-sticks or our fingers, and chose the former 
as the lesser evil. We managed to convey the greater 
part to our mouths, but occasionally some fell to the 
table. Again we were reminded of the Scriptures, 
" The dogs eat of the crumbs " ; for the household dog 
did, indeed, hunt beneath the table and eagerly devour 
all that fell. 

The bride, poor child, meantime sat on the edge of 
the bed in her small room, the red silk now thrown 
back from her face; but she could neither speak nor 
look up at the guests as they went in to see her, though 
they were at liberty to say what they chose to her, 
teasing and annoying her in every possible way, and 
trying to make her smile. To this kind of treatment 
a bride in China is subjected for three days and nights; 
and gratitude for our lot again filled our hearts, as we 
tucked ourselves into our chairs and were borne home. 



IX 



SOME time after this we were invited to a heathen 
wedding in the city. This home was much finer 
than the other, with evidences of wealth everywhere. 
There was music, but not such as we are accustomed to. 
It was a deafening din of gongs and trumpetHke instru- 
ments. We were there when the bride arrived in a 
beautiful wedding-chair covered with magnificently 
embroidered red satin. She too was dressed in red, 
but the quality of her gown was much finer than that 
of the poor little country girl. 

After various forms had been gone through with 
by the women-in-waiting, two pretty little brides- 
maids offered her wine, a looking-glass, face-powder, 
etc., all of which she was expected to refuse; then they 
threw rice at her, and after that she emerged from her 
chair, which the bearers had placed on the floor when 
they first came in. Then the bridegroom entered, and 
together they bowed down and worshiped, first, 
heaven and earth, then the ancestral tablets. The 
worship ended, the bride was taken into her own room 
and seated on the edge of the bed. First, the red silk 
covering was taken from her face, then the heavy 

58 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 59 

head-dress was removed, and she was allowed to wash 
and powder her face. 

We were shown the highest honor possible, that of 
being seated at a table in her own room, and served 
with tea, cakes, and a kind of soup. Later, there was 
the elaborate feast, similar to the one already de- 
scribed, but we fled before it was served. 

It was our privilege to be present at the formal 
opening of the Pickford Memorial Hospital in Kin- 
hwa. The first day was for the native Christians, and 
of a religious nature. This was to us by far the most 
impressive ; for a number had come in from the coun- 
try, and their joy and interest were shown in their 
faces. The second day was for the officials, teachers, 
etc. After the services on both days the visitors were 
allowed to go through the hospital and inspect it. 
They appeared greatly interested in what they saw, 
especially in the operating-room. 

On January 29 we left Kinhwa, where we had spent 
two happy months, and in the little mission boat 
started on our trip down the river. This boat, being 
closed in and having glass windows, was much warmer 
than the native boat on which we went up. 

The second day we reached Tonglu, and the follow- 
ing morning took the launch which runs from there 
to Hangchow. There was quite a crowd on the 
launch; but we, being the only foreigners, were objects 
of much interest and amusement to the natives, who 
crowded round the doors and windows of the first- 



60 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

class cabin, in which we were traveHng in company 
with two Chinese gentlemen. These two gentlemen 
were quite annoyed at the curiosity of the crowd 
gazing at us, and tried several times to drive them 
away, but with little success. 

We were late, and it was dark when we arrived at 
Hangchow, and it was a long time before we were 
able to go ashore. The coolies had a fight among 
themselves about carrying our baggage, and we won- 
dered when we should ever reach shore. Finally, 
however, we were bidden to go ; and grasping frantic- 
ally the coat-sleeve of a Chinese who preceded us with 
a lantern, we started to walk from the launch to shore 
on two planks. The way was long, for the launch 
was unable to go very near shore owing to shallow 
water ; the boards on which we were walking wobbled ; 
we grew dizzy and faint, and wondered whether our 
strength and courage would hold out to the end, but 
finally stepped gladly, though tremblingly, on to the 
shore. There, after much talk with the coolie regard- 
ing our baggage, we took chairs and proceeded to the 
home of Mr. and Mrs. Moore, whose guests we were 
to be. The ride was long and we were weary, and the 
pretty home which we entered was a welcome sight. 
How good electric lights looked to us once more, 
though they almost brought a pang of homesickness 
to our hearts. 

Our two days' stay in Hangchow proved most en- 
joyable, though the weather was unpropitious. This 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 6l 

city has a population of nearly a million souls, and was 
at one time the capital of China. We visited the shops, 
one of which, a fan-shop, held awards from at least 
a dozen different expositions or countries for the ex- 
cellence of its fans. The pawn-shops, of which there 
were many, interested us greatly. We visited " City 
Hill," on the summit of which is situated a temple, 
and from which a wonderful view of the city was ob- 
tained. We could ride only to the base of the hill 
and then had to climb many steps to reach its top. 

West Lake, a most beautiful spot, we saw on a rainy 
day, but could imagine its beauty when the weather 
is clear. 

Wayland Academy, the only Christian boys' school 
in Hangchow, was a delight to us. We were just in 
time to attend chapel the morning before school closed 
for the New Year's vacation. We were told that of 
all the boys who had entered its doors for study, many 
of whom were not Christians when they entered, only 
one had ever been graduated who was not a believer 
in the gospel. 

It was still raining when we took the train, which, 
after four or five hours' ride, brought us to Shanghai. 
It was pouring in torrents when we left the coaches, 
and great was our joy at being able to secure the only 
closed vehicle in sight, in which we were driven to the 
Missionary Home, kept by Mr. and Mrs. Evans. 

Shanghai is certainly a fine city. In the foreign 
concessions it is difficult for one to realize he is in 



^^ A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

China. Its roads are good; its trolley-car system well 
organized. Still, little things reminded us that we were 
in a foreign country. Rickshaws were everywhere 
The policemen were of different nationalitie^Eng- 
hsh, Chinese, and tall Indians wearing red turbans 
Bubblmg Well Road, the most elegant and fashionable 
thoroughfare, where many wealthy foreigners have 
their homes, extends out from the city and is most 
beautiful. 

We were fortunate enough to be in Shanghai on 
Chinese New Year, and so saw the city at its best, as 
far as the Chinese were concerned. They were all 
out in gala dress, and every available rickshaw, car- 
nage, and automobile was pressed into service carry- 
ing them hither and thither. It was indeed a gay 
sight. ^ ^ 

One day we took a trip to the native citv, and there 
we certainly had no doubt that we were in China. It 
is remarkable that a few moments can carry one so 
completely from a European city to what we there 
beheld. We had to leave our carriage at the entrance 
as the streets were far too narrow for anything but 
rickshaws, and even in these we often found our way 
blocked and our progress impeded by the crowds. In- 
deed, we could use them only part of the way, having 
to go on foot in the narrowest and most densely 
crowded places. 

Oh, for the power to describe fully what we saw 
the widest streets would just allow two rickshaws to 




Chinese Wheelbarrow, Shanghai 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 63 

pass each other; men, women, and children every- 
where; shops on either side filled with gaudy and in- 
teresting wares; and above all, the din of noise and 
confusion, with the screaming of the rickshaw men 
warning pedestrians to make way. 

We left our rickshaws at the entrance to what was 
said to be a beautiful garden, though at that season 
there were no flowers to be seen, but it proved to be 
a spacious old mandarin house, five hundred years old. 
We passed through doors, under arches, along walks, 
up stairs, and out onto narrow balconies. It must 
have been a wonderful place when the old mandarin, 
whose portrait is still preserved, resided there. 

As we came out, the young guide, who had attached 
himself to us unasked when we entered, led the way 
through still narrower streets to a large joss-house. 
We entered and passed from one room to another. 
The air was so thick with the smoke of the burning 
joss-sticks that our eyes smarted painfully, and we 
felt almost suffocated. 

In the largest room we beheld worshipers bowing 
before the shrine, and holding up little children, whom 
they seemed to be trying to teach also to bow before 
the idols. In another room, which was called the 
room for women, we saw them worshiping as they 
placed the joss-sticks before the shrines. 

Our guide still pressed his services upon us as he 
led us from one curio-store to another, where the 
prices were exorbitant; but we finally succeeded in 



64 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

dismissing him, after repeated declarations that we 
needed his services no longer, by giving him quite a 
large sum of money. However, we would not have 
missed this glimpse of the native city for many times 
its cost. 



X 



ON two occasions we beheld scenes which aroused 
our indignation at the way the rickshaw men 
were treated. These men are wretchedly poor in ap- 
pearance; many of them are barefooted and bare- 
headed, all are poorly clad, and their work is by no 
means easy. 

One day when we were in a silk-store we saw a 
commotion on the street and stepped to the door in 
time to see a burly English policeman, with a face like 
a thunder-cloud, catch hold of a poor rickshaw man 
by the hair, shake him, knock him around, and finally 
throw him down in the mud. In spite of the fellow's 
cries and entreaties and bowing down before the offi- 
cer to beg for mercy, he was delivered into the hands 
of a mammoth Indian policeman to be locked up, after 
his license had been torn off and thrown into the 
street; and all this because, in his ignorance, he had 
allowed his rickshaw to stand in front of a store 
where they were not allowed to stand. 

The other incident occurred on a Sunday morning, 
just as church was over in the cathedral. The people 
were coming out and a line of rickshaws was waiting 

65 



66 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

at the sidewalk for passengers. As a man just ahead 
of us reached the sidewalk, one of the rickshaw men 
approached him to see if he wanted to ride. With a 
rough " Get out! " and an angry push at the poor fel- 
low, the man who had just risen from his knees in the 
cathedral strode down the street, leaving behind him 
a shining example of a Western Christian, which it 
was scarcely probable the coolie wanted to imitate; 
at least, we hoped not. 

While in Shanghai we saw two large funerals. They 
were evidently funerals of wealthy Chinese, as they 
showed evidence that much money had been spent. 

The first was a funeral of a woman. Foremost in 
the procession walked a man carrying a large amount 
of paper money which was to be burned at the grave. 
Then came a band of Chinese musicians, and follow- 
ing them an elaborate chair, in which the spirit was 
supposed to ride. Then came more musicians, and 
after them the chair which the deceased had used in 
life and in which her picture had been placed. Follow- 
ing this, the coffin, covered with red satin elaborately 
embroidered, was carried on poles; while directly be- 
hind walked the sons of the deceased, dressed in 
mourning white, under the white canopy; and last of 
all were a number of carriages filled with relatives, 
each with a white cloth bound about the head. 

The other funeral was similar, except that at the 
head of the procession were a large number of floral 
wreaths, each one carried separately on a pole. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 67 

After this we saw still another funeral, far differ- 
ent from the others. The people were evidently poor ; 
there were no flowers, no carriages, no silken covering- 
for the coffin — only a gong and a weird kind of a 
horn for music, the black-painted coffin carried by a 
wooden carrying-pole on the shoulders of two men, 
and a number of rickshaws following, some with two 
and three people in them. The same white cloth was 
bound about the heads of the mourners. A dismal 
wailing and crying filled the air as they were hurried 
along to the place of burial; and one of the persons 
in the rickshaws was carrying the paper money to be 
burned at the grave, for, however poor they are, this 
must not be omitted. 

Oh, the hopelessness of that wailing cry from those 
who were without God and without hope ! 

The Door of Hope was a most interesting place 
which we visited one afternoon. It is a rescue home 
for girls and women saved from a life of sin and 
shame ; and here many have found a refuge. 

The Cantonese work in Shanghai, under Doctor 
and Mrs. Bryan, was prosperous; but this mission 
was the only one in the city for the one hundred thou- 
sand or more Cantonese ; they had two schools and a 
flourishing church organization, but were without a 
church edifice of their own. They were trying to se- 
cure one, however; and on one Sunday morning, at 
the close of the service, they raised in pledges fifteen 
hundred dollars (Mexican) and over for this purpose; 



68 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

the amount was increased to two thousand a few 
days later. Considering there were no wealthy mem- 
bers among them, this seemed a good sum. 

Doctor and Mrs. Chambers, from Canton, spent 
about ten days there, during which time he conducted 
some special meetings at the Chinese Young Men's 
Christian Association, where over one hundred Can- 
tonese signed cards expressing their desire to lead a 
Christian life. 

The third of March, in company with Doctor and 
Mrs. Chambers, we started for Canton on the French 
Mail S. S. Chili. This little mail-boat was typically 
French, so much so that there was little else spoken 
on board, and we had difficulty in making ourselves 
understood. The stewardess was a kind soul, how- 
ever, and tried to do all she could for us. We enjoyed 
her mixture of French with a little English, and 
liked to hear her " Madame " with its pretty little 
accent. 

There were few passengers aboard, so we were not 
crowded for room. We had toast and coffee served 
in our cabins in the morning, dejeuner at eleven, and 
dinner at six-thirty, with afternoon tea at four, and 
supper at 9 p. m. for those wished it. 

On the morning of March 6 we entered the har- 
bor of Hongkong, which is called one of the most 
beautiful, if not the most beautiful harbor in the 
world. It certainly is wonderful in its setting of 
mountains, on whose tops rest the clouds. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 69 

We went ashore in a tender, and walking the 
smooth, beautiful streets, gazed up at the tall, foreign 
buildings, while behind all rose " The Peak." 

Hongkong is not a Chinese city by any means, 
though the many Chinese whom one meets, together 
with rickshaws and chairs, are a reminder that China 
is not far away. 

Owing to the war, no foreigners were allowed to 
leave the city without a permit from the provost mar- 
shal; so we sought him out, trusting that he would 
not require us to wait the forty-eight hours which he 
had power to demand if he so chose. He examined 
our passports, and then did nothing worse than send 
us to the American consul, to procure a letter from 
him stating that it was all right for him to issue the 
permit; this on account of our pictures not being on 
our passports, the law requiring that having gone into 
effect after our passports had been secured. 

After dinner at a very good restaurant, we left for 
Canton on the three-o'clock train. The ride was a 
delightful one, with beautiful mountain scenery, varied 
by farms and vegetable-gardens. We noticed consider- 
able difference between the country here and farther 
north, where we had come from. Here were more 
signs of wealth and cultivation. The houses were of 
a better class; and the graves, instead of being the 
rude kind described in our account of the ride from 
Shanghai to Hangchow, were quite ornamental, being 
built in the hillside, instead of above ground, with an 



70 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

opening in many instances something like the opening 
to a tomb; and here again we could understand how 
the Chinese can so readily grasp the biblical description 
of the Saviour's tomb. 

Our trip was marred by only one incident. Our 
train struck a man who was walking on the track. We 
backed up and found him feebly gasping by the side 
of the track where the engine had thrown him. As we 
had no doctor on board, we left him and went on to 
secure aid at the next station, only a short distance 
away. We heard afterward, however, that he lived 
but a short time. 

We reached Canton about seven o'clock, but dark- 
ness had already settled down as we pulled into the 
station. After much delay on account of the baggage, 
of which our party had considerable, and haggling 
with the coolies as to the price of transferring it, we 
boarded what was called a trolley-car — but what was 
in reality much like a hand-car on our railroads in 
America — and proceeded the mile and a half back 
down the track to the mission compound. It had been 
a strenuous day, and we were thankful to reach our 
journey's end. 




Tung Shan Baptist Church, Canton 



XI 



THE next day being Sunday, we went to the Bap- 
tist , church nearly opposite Doctor Chambers' 
house. There are in all four Baptist churches in Can- 
ton. This is the one where most of the schoolgirls, a 
large number of the boys, and the students from the 
seminary, the women's school, and the blind school 
attend. The church was well filled and the singing 
impressive. The Lord's Supper was celebrated at the 
close, and it was beautiful to see those native Chris- 
tians sitting with bowed heads while the sacred em- 
blems were distributed by the Chinese. It was very 
touching to see the blind girls, as the bread and wine 
were placed in their hands; but we rejoiced that their 
spiritual eyes had been opened, even though their 
natural sight was darkened. 

A funeral passing the church, just as the pastor 
began his sermon, made such a disturbance with its 
weird music and firecrackers that it was necessary to 
give out a hymn to hold the congregation. 

On this mission compound lived all the Baptist 
missionaries; and there, besides the church, were the 
boys' and girls' schools, the women's school, the 

71 



^2 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

school for the bhnd, the theological seminary, and the 
kindergarten. 

The following day the family in whom we had been 
so interested, and whom we had longed for years to 
see, called on us : parents, sisters, and dear ones of the 
one at home, who for the past nine years had been 
in our home as a son. We were overjoyed at the meet- 
ing, and talked together of the one now in America, 
so dear to us all. 

How can we describe Canton ? It fully met our ex- 
pectations, for we really found it cleaner and better 
than any place we had visited, excepting, of course, 
Shanghai in its foreign concessions. Many of the 
streets were very narrow, some of them not even al- 
lowing two chairs to pass, and many of them only 
wide enough for the passing of two; therefore the 
chair-bearers were continually calling out in Canton- 
ese " left, right," according to the corner they were 
to turn, and it frequently took considerable maneuver- 
ing to turn it. They also cried out to pedestrians to 
clear the way, and woe betide those who did not heed 
the warning, for the reckless coolies did not mind 
hitting them with the poles of the chair. 

There were shops on every side and of all kinds, 
some of the most attractive showing displays of 
jewelry, ivory, jade, fans, and pictures. The popula- 
tion of Canton is estimated at two millions, including 
the boat population, which is variously estimated at 
from forty to ninety thousand. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 73 

The New Bund is very good, and the foreign con- 
cession as fine as that of Shanghai, though not so 
large. This is outside the city walls, and here the 
Chinese are not allowed to come unless on special busi- 
ness with the foreigners. 

One day we visited a little mission school in the 
city where children from heathen homes were taught 
the gospel. 

Our visit to the home of our dear Chinese friends 
was one of the most enjoyable of all. We found it 
a pretty home, and they did all in their power to 
make us feel welcome, sending out for refreshments, 
which, according to Chinese hospitality, they set be- 
fore us. 

The "Chun Kwong," or "True Light School," 
under the Presbyterians, is the largest girls' school in 
China. They also have a large hospital plant in the 
compound. 

One Sunday we went by launch some eight miles 
up the Pearl River, on which Canton is located, to a 
place called Sun Chow; a typical Chinese city, where 
work had recently been begun and a gospel hall 
opened. How we did enjoy this service, for it showed 
us a real street congregation. The hall contained no 
organ, and the benches were without backs. Some of 
the men smoked, and at first there was considerable 
talking and laughing in the rear of the room near the 
door; but gradually the people quieted down and lis- 
tened, some with marked attention, while Doctor 



74 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

Chambers preached to them on the parable of the 
Prodigal Son. It was an earnest, simple appeal to 
these poor people, and brought tears to our eyes as 
we listened. 

After this service was over the men were dismissed, 
and we had a short service with the women. There 
were not many, but a few, and they, with a large 
number of children, gathered round as we tried to tell 
them of the way of salvation. 

As a result of this little gospel hall being opened 
there, two men in the Chinese navy and one physician 
have been led to accept Christ and have been bap- 
tized. We saw them at the service that morning. 

Many organized churches in China have sprung from 
just such beginnings as this. One is in a village about 
thirty miles from Canton, Sai Nam. In this village 
Doctor Chambers was stoned the first time he went 
there; and Mrs. Chambers had to be conducted se- 
cretly out of the school and hidden in a jeweler's place 
till the crowd dispersed. Now in this place is an inde- 
pendent, self-supporting church. There, during the 
Boxer trouble of 1900, as the soldiers passed through 
on their way to Peking and tried to excite public sen- 
timent to destroy the church, the people refused, saying 
they knew the pastor to be a good man and the Chris- 
tians were good people ; and tearing down the placards 
the soldiers had posted on the church door, they posted 
instead placards of protection to the church. 

It was in this same village of Sai Nam that Mrs. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 75 

Chambers and Miss Greene on their first visit were 
allowed to walk up and down the streets, without be- 
ing invited to go in anywhere (a very discourteous 
thing in China). The second time they visited the 
place some old women invited them to be seated under 
a large tree; and here they led two blind women to 
listen to the gospel. These two women became much 
interested and begged to be told more and to be taught 
how to pray; so the missionaries taught them a simple 
prayer and a little grace to say before meals, and then 
left them. 

On a future visit to the place, Mrs. Chambers 
learned that one of these women had expected to be 
baptized, but the week before had been taken very ill 
and was in a dying condition, not having spoken or 
taken any food for three days. She asked to be taken 
to the house, and there she saw the woman, whom they 
had already carried to the front door, in order that 
when her spirit left her body it might more easily 
escape. Mrs. Chambers, going to her side, turned 
back the covers and spoke to her. The dying woman 
stirred. Placing her hand on that of the sick woman, 
Mrs. Chambers spoke again, and the woman knew 
her, and calling her by name, said : " I am so glad 
you have come. I wanted to tell you He is with me 
and I am very happy." The following day she went to 
be with Him who had opened her spiritual eyes to 
behold Him. 



XII 



WE took the ride one day by chair into the city. 
It was quite a distance and a novel experience. 
The sight, sounds, and smells of a Chinese city are 
indescribable. The din is worse than in Boston ; for 
our chair coolies were incessantly calling out, in no 
gentle voice, for people to make way. We were con- 
tinually greeted with the cry of " foreign devil " from 
the children, and gazed at curiously by the older 
people. 

There are, however, some characteristics of the 
Chinese that are almost pathetic. One of these is their 
love for flowers. They all love them. Even the 
coolies will sometimes have a flower tucked over one 
ear as they trudge along, stripped naked to the waist 
and barefooted. This little bit of sweetness they will 
frequently take in their hands and smell of. 

We saw the flower-sellers with trays of single buds 
and blossoms, plucked with no stems to speak of, 
which we would be inclined to throw into the ash- 
barrel at home; yet the women and girls will stand 
before the trays and carefully select the flowers they 
wish. The Chinese are also very fond of birds, and 
76 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT yj 

we saw many cages of these little songsters hung in 
the shop and house doors. We even saw a man carry- 
ing one in the rain, carefully protected by his umbrella. 
Truly, these people have kind hearts. 

On Sunday, the twenty-eighth of March, our hearts 
were gladdened beyond words by beholding two of 
the ones for whom we had been so long praying — 
members of the family we so dearly loved — put on 
Christ in baptism. These were the mother and one 
of the daughters; and long shall we remember the 
scene, as in the little Independent Baptist Church they 
stood up before the congregation and were examined 
by the pastor and then were buried with their Lord in 
the baptismal waters, while the people sang " Happy 
Day." Oh, the contrast between Christianity and 
heathenism! As we left the church and the sacred 
scene and were once more carried through the crowded 
streets, we saw not one thing which would make us 
think that a Saviour had come into the world. On 
every side, in doorways and " under every green tree," 
we beheld idolatrous shrines. It was Sunday, but 
business was going on as on every other day. Miser- 
able beggars were holding out baskets, crying, " Have 
pity ! " One poor wretch was down on his knees in 
the wet, dirty street, wailing piteously, as he bowed 
down his head to the pavement, striking it against the 
stones. The hateful cry of " foreign devil " greeted 
us on all sides ; but the scene in the little church of the 
two disciples confessing their Lord was so fresh in 



yS A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

our minds that we could praise God and look forward 
to a day when hundreds and thousands more of 
China's millions should know and serve him too. 

The sixth of April, according to our calendar, was 
the day for the Chinese to worship at the graves of 
their ancestors and friends. From early morning 
until night we heard the sound of firecrackers, and 
saw people going by on their way to the burying- 
ground, carrying their offerings, which sometimes 
consisted of a whole roast pig and mounds of pink and 
white cakes. 

In the afternoon we took rickshaws and went out 
to the Christian burying-ground, where both Chinese 
and foreign Christians were buried. All along the 
way we passed people who were going and coming to 
and from the graves ; but as it was late the people were 
mostly returning, and fluttering pieces of red paper 
on the tops of the graves we passed, indicated that 
most of the graves had been worshiped. 

The way was thronged with beggars, from old men 
and women down to little children. They ran after 
our rickshaws, holding out their baskets and calling on 
us to give them money. We passed one crowd sitting 
by the roadside, counting their day's gains. The cash 
were packed together and extended across the entire 
length of one hand, while the other was held out in 
supplication as we came along. 

How different the cemetery of the Christians from 
what we had already passed ! No red papers fluttered 




Mat-house, where Kindergarten is Held, Canton 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 79 

from the graves, no signs of heathen worship appeared, 
where beneath the sod quietly slept some of China's 
redeemed ones whom Christ will raise again at his 
coming. There, by the graves of those whom God 
called to labor for him in China, and by the graves 
of their little children, we lingered, thinking how they 
had fallen with their hands to the plow and their faces 
to the front. Tears filled our eyes as we gazed at the 
white marble stones, and strewing sweet flowers on 
their graves we turned our faces again homeward. 

Among other novel experiences was our attempt to 
do a little outdoor sketching. It was a pretty bit of 
scenery : the corner of a temple, a gateway, and a 
spreading banyan tree. 

We were looked at with considerable curiosity, 
which developed into interest and something like awe. 
They came — men, women, and children — and gath- 
ered around us till they completely shut out our view, 
and we were obliged to ask them kindly to move, 
which they obligingly did. They watched us and had 
an animated discussion as to which tree we were paint- 
ing; they remarked that we had great native skill; and 
finally passed on, but only to make way for a new lot 
no less curious and talkative. 

We used to think that we could not paint with any 
one looking over our shoulders, but we had certainly 
gotten bravely over that ; and all we desired at this time 
was simply elbow room and an unobstructed view; 
unless, indeed, it might be a bottle of La France rose 



8o A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

perfume and some one to hold it under our nose. But 
they were interested and so were we. 

Of the last three weeks of our stay in Canton we 
can say but little that would be of interest, for the 
weather grew warm and depressing. Oh, the horrors 
of a tropical climate ! We felt as a wilted linen collar 
looks after the wearer has been perspiring freely. 
Everything molded — our dresses, our books, all leather 
goods. We wiped off the white mold at night, but it 
was there again in the morning. We dared not go 
around in this kind of weather; much of the time was 
spent in the house. A great horror of homesickness 
came over us and threatened to be our complete undo- 
ing. We thought that we had known that before, but 
all that was as child's play compared with this, when 
we realized that we were on the opposite side of the 
globe from all the world held "dear to us. Only 
heaven was as near to us in China as in America. 

We dared not trust ourselves even to look at the 
photographs of our dear ones, but packed them away 
in the trunk without a single glance; and even our 
home letters, though greatly welcomed and appre- 
ciated, gave us a tight feeling round the heart, and 
we counted first the weeks and then the days before 
our departure. 

On April 28 we left Canton for Hongkong, where 
we stayed at the King Edward Hotel. It was a week 
before the sailing of our steamer — a week which 
seemed more like a month as the days dragged slowly 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 8l 

by. One night we heard some voices on the street 

singing: 

It's a long way to Tipperary; 
It's a long way to go; 

and our hearts responded to the sentiment. 

Hongkong is a wonderfully pretty city, with Chi- 
nese sections, and on the whole reminded us not a 
little of San Francisco. 

Behind the city rose the Peak, stately and grand. 
It was dotted with houses, and a cable-car ran to the 
top. At night the lights gleaming from the different 
buildings made it a beautiful scene. 

On May 6, at 5 p. m., two days and four hours later 
than schedule time, the Mongolia steamed slowly out 
of the harbor; and oh, joy beyond words, we were on 
board bound for home ! 

We had never known before just how we loved 
home and country, but we knew then. Three days 
later we reached Shanghai, then crossed to Nagasaki, 
where we spent a most uncomfortable night while the 
ship was coaling; for, in addition to the noise, all port- 
holes were closed and the air of the cabin was most 
trying. On again to Kobe, where for more than 
thirty-eight hours they loaded freight, till we wondered 
where they could possibly put it all ; then on to Yoko- 
hama, where we took on still more. We left Yoko- 
hama late Sunday afternoon, hoping for a smooth 
trip, but our hopes were vain, for that night we ran 
into a severe storm which lasted all the following day 



82 A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 

as well. W'e pitched and rolled, shipping one sea after 
another, as we headed into the teeth of the gale. For 
fifteen hours we had the added horror of being with- 
out fresh air, as all port-holes and ventilators were 
obliged to be closed. 

Another day and the sea grew quiet, and our trip 
was comfortable till we reached Honolulu, where we 
spent the night on shore, which was most enjoyable 
after being so long on shipboard. We had not real- 
ized the full beauty of this ocean paradise from our 
little glimpse of it on the way out, but now its loveli- 
ness charmed us. Its pretty homes, wonderful beach, 
mountains, and magnificent flowers were really beyond 
description. 

Six days more to San Francisco. We counted them 
off one by one, and the last one being rough and un- 
comfortable made us still more thankful that it was 
the last. How welcome the sight of land once more! 
And doubly welcome it was when we realized that it 
was our own land which we had not seen for so long; 
while over and over we repeated to ourselves the lines 
learned years before, but until then never fully appre- 
ciated : 

Our hearts are filled with joy to-day, 
We've sighted the Golden Gate; 

Its light is beaming o'er our way, 
We've sighted the Golden Gate. 

Toss'd o'er the sea we've longed for home. 
O'er oceans wide for this we've come; 

Our journey now is almost done. 
We've sighted the Golden Gate. 



A TRIP TO THE ORIENT 83 

We docked at 7 p. m., and once more stepped on 
native soil, once more beheld the beautiful city of San 
Francisco ; and that night on our knees we poured our 
hearts in thanksgiving to the Father above, who had 
led us all the way and preserved us from danger, 
bringing us again to our " desired haven." 



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